House sale but now threatened with legal action.

The_Original_Red1

Hi all just wondering if anyone could give us any advice ?. So basically my mother in law inherited a house in a will she wasn't told nothing about the property so she sold it through an estate agent as she already has a home. So now the buyer is threatening her with taking her to court after owning the property for four years over flooding in the garden. What should we do ?

grumpy_codger

IMO, ignore - unless the buyer can prove that your MIL knew about the problem and lied about this.

Mark_d

Don't do anything.  Presumably your mother completed forms, during the conveyancing process, to the best of her knowledge.  Your mother-in-law can't be held responsible because the buyer failed to do adequate checks on what he was buying.

RAS

This lot are chancing it, presumably hoping to bully her but she needs to check her facts.

Your mother needs to look at the forms she completed when she sold the house. There is a question on flooding. 

Having not been resident (and presuming the buyer knew it was probate) it would have been quite reasonable for to answer not known.

There is also some uncertainty whether flooding of a garden requires declaration, or flooding of the house?

Section62

The_Original_Red1 said:

Hi all just wondering if anyone could give us any advice ?. So basically my mother in law inherited a house in a will she wasn't told nothing about the property so she sold it through an estate agent as she already has a home. So now the buyer is threatening her with taking her to court after owning the property for four years over flooding in the garden. What should we do ?

Did she fill in a TA6 form, and if so, what did it say about flooding?

rustybloke425

When your MIL sold the house, she will have filled a TA6 form in. This will have had a question about any historic flooding.

If she wrote 'none' or similar and the new owner can prove that is false, they could have a case. 

If she wrote 'not known' or similar, she's probably ok. 

Try to find any records from the sale/have a chat with the conveyancer to begin with. 

The_Original_Red1

Can I just add that this person is constantly knocking on harassing the mother in law as the property she inherited is only five houses away from her own 

RAS

So mother in law would have known if the garden flooded?

And these are verbal threats?

What did she reply on the TA6 form? 

FlorayG

The_Original_Red1 said:

Can I just add that this person is constantly knocking on harassing the mother in law as the property she inherited is only five houses away from her own 

Harassment is illegal. Tell them you will get the police involved if they continue

theartfullodger

The_Original_Red1 said:

Hi all just wondering if anyone could give us any advice ?. So basically my mother in law inherited a house in a will she wasn't told nothing about the property so she sold it through an estate agent as she already has a home. So now the buyer is threatening her with taking her to court after owning the property for four years over flooding in the garden. What should we do ?

Mother in Law (not you) should talk to solicitor... or citizens advice.  Unless you have authority to act on her behalf

The_Original_Red1

RAS said:

So mother in law would have known if the garden flooded?

And these are verbal threats?

What did she reply on the TA6 form? 

Yes she would've known as she has lived there for over 20years and never seen any flooding. On the Ta6 form she put there was nothing wrong with the property as the previous owner never had any problems.And as for the threats the person keeps coming round saying she is at fault and threatening legal action against her. The mother in law told her that she knows nothing of any problems before she inherited it but she keeps on coming round with her mother daily.